Praise Report

It’s been really cool lately to see good things happening to some of the people I love the most. After what has seemed like a long season of difficulties and struggles, I am seeing favor and blessing upon them in some pretty big ways, and I can’t hide my joy about it. It’s overwhelming to see what’s happening…in a good way.

Thanks, God, for listening to prayers and always being there.

O praise the name of the Lord our God.
O praise His name forevermore.
For endless days, we will sing Your praise,
O Lord, O Lord our God.

My Prayer for You

May God do what you want most and let all go well for you. Then you will win victories, and we will celebrate, while raising our banners in the name of our God. May the LORD answer all your prayers!
Psalm 20:4-5

Amen.

Keep on Knocking

Matthew 7:7
Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.

I like this translation of this verse. It’s a good reminder of the effectiveness of prayer, plus the need to be persistent about it and to expect a positive outcome.

Too often (myself absolutely included) we forget that God hears prayers. He’s listening. We just don’t talk with Him enough about what’s going on in our lives, or when we do talk with him we don’t do it with any confidence.

But God wants us to be confident, bold, and to believe in the absolute best when we pray. (Mark 9:23)

So go for it! Believe that good things are coming your way. Believe that the doors that have been closed in your life will open. He will open them for you at just the right time. It might not look that way to you now, but His timing is always perfect.

Have a great day.

Prayers for New Orleans

(…and all people and locations in the path of Hurricane Isaac.)

Please take a moment right now to say one if you would, friends. Thank you. Every prayer counts!

Be safe down there, everyone.

Prayers for Jimmy

I got a phone call this afternoon that I simply did not expect.

My friend Angie called me to inform me that my friend Jimmy had been in an accident on the highway and that he had been airlifted to a hospital for treatment of the injuries he sustained in the crash.

Immediately my heart sank and I struggled to even get words out as Angie relayed the story to me. He was conscious but the fact that he was flown from the crash scene was really difficult to hear.

At last report, he was talking and I was extremely grateful to hear that.

I don’t know a lot more at this point. All I know is that my friend got hurt today and I just want him to be alright.

Jimmy is a dear friend of mine and someone who has been nothing but kind to me since I met him in Myrtle Beach more than nine years ago. He’s a great guy and a friend to everyone he meets. Great personality, great smile, and a heart of gold. Anyone who knows Jimmy will tell you he’s the kind of person you want to be around. He’s just good people, plain and simple.

I’m writing this to ask that you pray for him and send good thoughts his way, even if you’re reading this and have never met him. You can never have too many prayers.

Please pray for a complete recovery for Jimmy. Please pray for the people who are caring for him right now. Please pray for his wife Jaimie, for his family, and for his many, many friends out there.

Thank you very much. I know that God will take it from there.

Feel better soon, Jimmy.

UPDATE: 8/9/11 (from his wife Jaimie’s Facebook page) Jimmy update: He’s in surgery and will be for awhile. He’s been alert, and cracking jokes… and such a trooper. He’s not complained once and I know he’s in so much pain. I’ve told him this before, but it’s times like these when we realize we have the best friends/co-workers and family in the world. We are grateful for you all. A long road to recovery, but we’re up for the challenge. We love you all. I will keep you posted!

UPDATE #2: 8/9/11 (from Jaimie) Jimmy update: He’s out of surgery and stable. He’s resting and so the recovery begins. A long road, but he’s hanging in there and is being very strong. You all would be very proud of him. I’ll keep you posted! Thanks for your continued support!

UPDATE #3: 8/10/11 (from Mike, Jimmy’s best man and best pal) Morning update on Jimmy: Jaimie says he still has the breathing tube in, but he is doing well. He is less sedated today and they are going to try to ween him off the sedation. At last check, doctors were running tests on his head. We all thank everyone for their your continued thoughts.

UPDATE #4: 8/10/11 (from Jaimie) Jimmy semi-update: he’s responding really well to all his visitors. It’s really encouraging. Still needs a lot of rest… it’s very early, but less than 24 hours after surgery, he’s looking really good.

UPDATE #5: 8/11/11 (from Jaimie) Jimmy update: He’s doing about the same this morning. He’s still on ventilator, which is doing some, not all of the work for him. Pretty normal for his injuries/surgery and his swelling. He’s working really hard to swallow because he was told he has to, even with an annoying tube his down this throat. He got his first nourishment through a tube — which is good news! First meal since Sunday!! Everyday is an improvement!

UPDATE #6: 8/11/11 (from Jaimie) Jimmy update concerning head laceration: they’ll perform surgery in the morning to complete the process of closing up his gash. They’ll use something called Integra to help the area grow. He’s continuing to hang in there! A tough cookie, for sure.

UPDATE: Jaimie has set up a CaringBridge site. You can get further updates there. Please check it out. Here it is: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/jimmymoore1